Growing Pains
by So-So-Spacecase
Summary: Jinora experiences puberty. Needless to say, she does not react to it well. ONESHOT. All feedback appreciated :


**I think all girls/women will relate to what Jinora is going through here.**

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The first sign that Jinora was starting puberty was her hair and the certain luster that started to accumulate. Whenever she ran her fingers through her tresses, they all seemed to come back with an oily residue. At first Jinora thought it was because of her shampoo or that maybe she wasn't showering enough, but no matter what shampoos she tried or how many showers she took, the grease always seemed to return, even within the course of a few days.

Of course, her problems regarding hair didn't stop there. One day while washing, Jinora noticed a few sprouts of hair growing underneath her arms, on her legs, and in other places. To say the least, she was surprised, but she half expected it. Jinora noted all the grown women and the hair they had over their bodies, so it was what she expected for herself.

What she did not expect, however, was the acne. It had been a cheerful, sunny morning when Jinora was washing her face and felt a tender lump on her forehead. Glancing in the mirror, Jinora's eyes widened at the sight of the inflamed zit. Desperately, she began squeezing it, and washing it. The next morning, it only became worse.

Over the next few weeks, more and more zits appeared, causing Jinora to go into a panic. After a few days of frantic thinking, she decided to confide in her mother and the other female Acolytes. They first gave her an herbal tea with special antioxidants that was supposed to lead to healthy skin, but when Jinora's condition only worsened, they decided to take a little shopping trip to the pharmacy.

The first skin cream Jinora used for her face dried out her face to a point where she would hide in her room so no one would see the flakes that fell off her face- and it didn't even do anything to her acne. The second cream was a bust as well, when Jinora had an allergic reaction to one of the ingredients. Needless to say, she never used that one again. It took some trial and error, until Jinora finally settled on a natural face scrub. It didn't get rid of her acne, but at least it lessened the appearance.

At first, Jinora thought that was the end of the changes in her appearance, but she spoke too soon. When she was younger, she could wear any clothes she wanted without having to wear anything underneath. However, as she began maturing, it was hard to remain modest when whatever clothing she wore seemed to accentuate her chest in an embarrassing way. Soon, Jinora had to learn the skill of chest bindings, which she found to be a difficult, annoying task. Also, it constricted her breathing, where as Jinora no longer felt free in her clothing.

Along with constantly keeping herself clean and hygienic, Jinora also noted a few emotional changes in herself as well. Jinora was always the calm and polite one of the family, but lately, her whole family saw a change in her attitude. She was still the quiet, reserved child, but occasionally, she had an outburst of anger, sadness, and any other emotion that couldn't be normally attributed to her. Only Pema was the one to understand the true cause behind it; all the others were as confused as Jinora was.

Another thing Jinora began to notice was her preference in males. No longer were boys "icky" and "cootie-filled." During her preteen years, Jinora began to see boys in a new light. And it wasn't just a few specific guys. It seemed as if everywhere she went, Jinora would spot a young boy, and couldn't help but think of the boy's attractiveness, or what it would be like to kiss them. Her sudden change even surprised herself, but she couldn't stop her feelings as they grew for certain people. It frustrated Jinora to no end, especially when she couldn't get certain people off of her mind. It was hard to even look at Mako and Bolin in the eyes whenever she encountered them.

Thankfully, Jinora had her mother by her side as these changes took place. Having gone through them herself, Pema was more than glad to help Jinora through her growing pains. Jinora began to feel more comfortable in her own skin, no matter how oily or red it appeared sometimes, with her mother guiding her every step of the way.

However, one thing Pema failed to mention was "the cycle." The first time Jinora got her period, she had screamed, thinking she was bleeding from the inside out. It took a while for Pema to console her, and even longer to explain the process to her daughter.

"You see, Jinora, a woman will bleed to make room for a baby, should they ever have one. The bleeding is the way the woman's body will make room for the baby if it's conceived. When a woman is pregnant, she will not have these bleedings, since the child is occupying the space."

Jinora nodded uncertainly, still quite confused, but at least reassured that she was not going to die. However, a few days later, when her cycle was over, she screamed once more. This time, though, the whole house was aware of her situation.

"MOM! IT STOPPED! AM I PREGNANT?"

Needless to say, Tenzin went into shock, Ikki and Meelo were confused, and Pema was once more burdened with the task of further explaining the cycle to Jinora, as well as calming down Tenzin and assuring everyone that Jinora was not pregnant.

From then on, Jinora began to learn how to live with her new changes, completely aware that there was more ahead for her further down the road. Pema had warned it might even get worse when she was a teenager. Either way, Jinora hoped she was prepared. This was going to be long ride.

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**Poor Jinora. She still has such a long way to go. *cue Coach Carr from Mean Girls* Based off of my own experiences with puberty. Of course, most women, if not most, will sympathize with this.**

**All reviews are appreciated!**


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